Nail machine and nail manufacturing



Sept. 24, 1940. J. A. RICE NAIL MACHINE AND NAIL MANUFACTURING Filed Dec. 14, 1.937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 hwenior: JOQEPH Sept. 24, 1940. C 2,216,049

NAIL MACHINE AND NAIL MANUFACTURING Filed Dec. 14, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'IEQE. g

. lmzenfmf' J0EPH 4 6/65,

Sept. 24, 1940. A, 2,216,049

NAIL MACHINE AND NAIL MANUFACTURING Filed Dec. 14, 1937 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Fi .4. z

JOQEPH 4 E 65,

Patented Se t. 24, mo

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i 2.21am

- nan. momma NAIL mmao'ronm Joseph A. Rice, Belle Vernon, Pa... assignmto The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey Application December 14, 1937, Serial No. 179,747 8 Claims. (Cl. -43) machine, is disclosed by the accompanying drawings, the various figures being as follows:

Figure 1 is a section of the machine's crosshead mounting hammer stocks, one of the lat-' ter embodying the principles of the invention in 10 the form of a special hammer assembly.

Figures 2 and 3 are similar sections showing this hammer assembly, Figure 3 showing it as it appears during operation and Figure 2 showing it as it appears at all other times.

Figures 4 and 5 are'similar sections showing a hammer assembly embodying the principles of the invention in a modified form Figure 5 showing the assembly as it appears during operation and Figure 4 showing it as it appears at all other times. V v

A complete double-blow nail machine is not disclosed because its construction may follow the prior art. The reader unfamiliar with such machines may .refer to Patent No. 1,491,027, granted on April 22, 1924, to Edwin H. Broden.

The drawings illustrates the usual cross-head I mounting hammer-stocks 2 and 3 which provide mountings for hammers alternately working wire 4 intermittently fed through the usual pinch-dies 5. The hammer-. stock 3 mounts. a hammer 6, in the end of which is a hole I of slightly larger diameter than the wire 4 and a depth equal to the length of the wire required to form the-top head and the shank between this head and the bottom head of a double-headed nail.

When the cross-head i registers the hammer 6 with the die 5, the lower head I is formed, this a The hammer-stock 2 is part 'of' what may be termed a hammer assembly which includes the stock, the latter having a trough-like projection 2 over which a cap 2 is bolted, these parts providing a guideway ill extending longitudinally 60 from the'stock. The stock also mounts an elongated hammer ii of relativelysmall diameter which projects from the stock longitudinally through and beyond the guideway it toward the die l5.

II A reciprocating clamp housing I2 is retained in the guideway Ill by way of an upstanding lip i2 working in a confining recess ill formed in the guideway cap 2''. This housing has a wire it through which the hammer II can work, and a flared opening l4, the hammer ii projecting centrally through this opening. Nail shank clamps II are reciprocatively retained in the opening i4, and have clamping jaws l6 projecting toward the die -.5 beyond and on eitherside of the hammer ii. These clamps i5 comprise separate parts retained in the opening i4 by lugs ll sliding in cam recesses i8 opening into the opening I4 from the top of the bottom wall of the housing l2, bounding this opening, the clamps I! having surfaces i9 tapered to the same angle asthe flare of the opening i4, and the recesses i8 being in the form of slots extending parallel these flared and tapered parts.

Reciprocation of the clamps. i5 respecting the housing I2 obviously effects their clamping and unclamping, and reciprocation of the housing i2 with respect to the hammer-stock 2 permits the hammer ii to strike and upset the end of the nail shank 9 when it is clamped by'the clamping jaws i6. Compression springs are interposed within the guideway it between the housing l2 and the hammer-stock 2, whereby the housing I2 is constantly urged outwardly away from the hammer-stock, this, in turn, urging the clamps l5 in the same direction.

The clamping jaws i6 have their surfaces facing the hammer recesses, as at 2|, to provide a nail head-forming die, and their opposite faces recessed, as at 22, to provide a receiving recess for the previously formed head 8. Preferably, the jaws i6 are detachable, as illustrated, and are made of metal having suitable hardness.

Now assuming the hammer 6 has. formed the I head 8 on the wire 4 leaving the projecting shank 9, the cross-head I has dropped to register' the hammer assembly, of which the stock 2 is a part, with the pinch-dies 5, and the clamps of this assembly are in their released positions, the operation is as follows:

-'As the cross-head i moves toward the pinchdies 5 the Jaws i6 engage these pinch-dies'and the clamps l5 cannot further move forward. As the cross-head continues to move, the clamps ride back within theopening l4 of the housing i2 which is, at this time, still traveling forward with the cross-head under the urge of the compression springs-2o. During this time, clamping of the nail shank 9 occurs, the recesses 22 on the front faces of the jaws i6 snugly fitting about the previously formed head 8 at this time. As the clamps II are forced to their complete clamping position the springs 20 start to compress, this permitting relative reciprocation between the housing l2 and the hammer It so that the latter, which continues to move forward with the hammer-stock 2, ultimately strikes the projecting end of the wire 4 and upsets it within the die-recesses 2i of the jaws l6. It'fwill be'hote'd that thesexjaws' Ii function practically as asepai'able die. The thickness of the jaw i6 between the recesses 2| and 22 is made equal to the shank length desired between the two heads, sothat shanks of stant length positively result.

As the cross-head I begins its return recipposition to engage the pinch-dies of a nail machine on either side of a nail shank projecting rocation, the compression springs 20 push the housing l2 outwardly as far as it can go, at which time it begins to move with the crosshead. The clamps II cannot return at this time because their jaws I are clamping the nail shank between the two heads but, due to the action of the clamp projections l1 and the housing recess l8, they are quickly forced apart and the jaws now disengage the top head of the nail formed by the action of the hammer Ii. At this time the entire assembly is free to complete its return and is in condition for another cycle.

In the modification illustrated by Figures 4 and 5, the parallel moving clamps I! are re placed by oppositely swinging clamps l5 positioned to engage the pinch-dies 5 of the nail machine and to be thereby swung into mutual alignment, as shown by Figure 5, whereby to clamp the shank 9. On reverse movement-of the hammer stock carrying this assembly, the clamps swing oppositely so as to release the shank. These clamps are pivoted to a clamp mounting 23 retained in the guideway In in the same fashion as was the housing l2. The springs 20 are also used. The mounting 23 is, of course, re-

ciprocative, whereby the stock can move further forwardly to properly work the hammer ll upon complete clamping of the clamps IS. The

5 jaws of these clamps may be provided with the same features described in connection with the clamps l5 and their jaws l6. Preferably, they are provided with stops 24 which limit their swinging action and which properly position them for engagement with the pinch-dies.

I claim: 1. A nail machine hammer assembly including a hammer-stock, nail shank clamps reciprocaand which is operated by reciprocation between said clamps and said stock caused by said clamps engaging said pinch-dies while said stock is advancing theretowards and by said clamps .engagement with the nail shank while said stock is retreating therefrom, and a hammer carried by said stock in position to upset the end of a nail shank clamped by said jaws.

2. A nail machine hammer assembly including a hammer-stock, nail shank clamps reciprocatively carried by said stock and having jaws in position to engage the pinch-dies of a nail machine on either side of a nail shank projecting therefrom, means for urging said clamps away from said stock, means for clamping said clamps and which is operated by reciprocation between said clamps and said stock caused by said clamps engaging said pinch-dies while said therefrom, means for urging said clamps away from said stock, means for clamping said clamps when they move toward said stock and for unclamping them when they move away from the same, and a hammer carried-by said stock in position to upset the end of a nail shank clamped by said jaws, proximal portions of the latter being recessed on their surfaces engaging said pinch-dies to accommodate a head previously.

formed on said shank at a position spaced from its extending end, whereby to form another head and produce a double-headed nail.

tively carried by said stock and having jaws in.

position to engage the pinch-dies of a nail machine on either side' of a nail shank projecting therefrom, means for urging said clamps "away from said stock, means for clamping said clamps when they move toward said stock and for unclamping them when they move away from the same, and a hammer carried by said stock in position to upset the end of a nail shank clamped by said jaws, proximal portions of the latter being recessed on their surfaces engaging said pinch-dies to accommodate a head previously formed on said shank at a position spaced from its extending end, whereby to form another head and produce a double-headed nail, proximal portions of said jaws being recessed on their surfaces facing said hammer to provide a nail head die for the second head and the thickness of said jaws between said recess equaling the shank length desired between the two heads.

5. A nail machine hammer assembly including a hammer-stock, a guideway extending longitudinally from said stock, ahammer projecting from said stock longitudinally through and beyond said guideway;a reciprocative clamp housing retained in said guideway and providing a flared opening through which said hammer projects, nail shank clamp reciprocatively retained in said opening with clamping jaws projecting beyond and on either side of said'hammer and compression springs between said housing and said stock.

6. A nail machine hammer assembly including a hammer-stock, a guideway extending longitudinally from said stock, a hammer projecting from said stock longitudinally through and beyond said guideway, a reciprocative clamp housing retained in said guideway and providing a flared opening through which said hammer projects, nail shank clamps reciprocatively retained in said opening with clamping jaws projecting beyond and on either side of .said hammer and compression springs between said housing and said stock, said clamping, jaws having their opposite faces formed with nail head receiving recesses.

7. A nail machine hammer-assembly including a hammer stock, a hammer extending from said stock and means carried by said stock for clamping the nail shank'to be headed by said hammer.

8. A nail machine hammer-assembly including a hammer stock, a hammer extending from said stock and means carried by said stock for clamping the nail shank to be headed by said hammer, said means including oppositely swinging clamps positioned to engage the pinch-dies of the nail machine from which said shank projects upon forward movement of said stock and to be thereby swung into mutual alignment, whereby to clamp said shank, and to be oppositely swung upon reverse movement of said stock, whereby to release said shank, said clamps being pivoted by a member reciprocatively associated with said stock to permit further forward movement of the same to work said hammer upon complete clamping of said clamps.

' JOSEPH A. RICE. 

